Bombay Unplugged

Diwali Mubarak

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Chapter 3

5th October 2017 , Hindu New Year , popularly Diwali . The entire city of Mumbai was lit up like a bride . Luminous , shiny lights all over the streets , Various types of lanterns hung all around , the unstoppable sound of firecrackers and most importantly , Mirth on faces of people of all generations . It was Diwali , brand new clothes , extra sweet thereby extra fattening desserts , it was all part of the tradition . However , there was one more significant tradition followed regularly , unfailingly by the poorest and the richest . Cleansing of their houses . Every household , inclusive of senior citizens / adults / kids , strictly followed this concept . Tucked away from dirt , dust and all sorts of filth , Diwali was truly a festival of purity . However , there were a working class few , who weren't that fortunate , they couldn't but be filthy , against tradition . A story , dedicated to the mandatory working class without which the city of dreams can not or would not be able to celebrate the greatest festival of the year .

The journey in a garbage collection truck from Deonar Dumping Ground , Mumbai's largest landfill for daily commercial waste & garbage , began at 2:30 AM sharp . It was Diwali , the streets were busier than usual . The sky was lit by an amazing spectacle of fireworks . On this auspicious , pure day , protagonist Mubarak Khan , a garbage collector by profession serving the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation boarded his usual truck and banged his hand twice on the rear , indicating a go ahead to commence the journey . The fore mentioned route covered the northern most suburbs of Mumbai ; Bhayandar , Nallasopara , Vasai and Naigaon . Majority of the population living in the area were ones who shifted recently to Mumbai with big dreams but small pockets . The journey of Mubarak Khan's truck was marked by arguments with uncooperative hoteliers , fights with watchmen and tiffs with local sweepers . He was a garbage collector with high amount of self esteem and low level of tolerance . This is exactly what irritated the masses . In a progressive metropolitan like Mumbai , people were still of degressive minds . They could not or rather would not let the statements or decisions of a garbage collector guide or direction their actions , even if he was correct to the dot . Their minds were predominant with social hierarchy and poisoned with the feeling of superiority . In this social triangle of authority , garbage collectors were placed lower than the lowest . Imagine the outrage when a man from the so called lowest order , refused to pick up garbage from an affluent industrialists house only because it was not separated as dry and wet waste . No where in Mumbai was the dry waste wet waste rule followed , as all that the garbage collectors cared about was their monthly wage and government benefits . This is exactly what irritated the masses . The entire vicinity of north most Mumbai was well aware of the strict and stern garbage collector , most of them even followed all rules and applied all procedures as asked . They were served obediently and diligently . Then came those uncaring and socially influential hoteliers , bar owners , hospitals etc . It was quite a sight watching them try and argue with Khan , as all he did unasked was dump more garbage in addition to the garbage left for picking up and leave without answering a single damn question , that too with a smirky face . This is exactly what irritated the masses . On Diwali , wastage was obviously in excess . Firecracker ash wastes , torn old clothes , stale food ; all these were commoners . Diwali was also a fresh start , a new year , a new beginning . People spoke to their counter parts with utmost respect and gratitude so as to quit previous grievances and begin fresh .

Khan , wasn't exactly that fortunate . As his truck proceeded through its usual route , all cooperate society's had assembled their dry and wet wastes separately , swiftly assisting the process . Then came the hospitals and bars . The hospitals saw extreme amounts of skin burning cases due to firecrackers , thereby there was an excess of filthy waste like ice sachets , skin sheddings etc . There were crisp and clear instructions , stating explicitly that human sheddings were to be packed separately and submitted in polythene bags . The hospital and it's management with their forever turned on superiority complex , sent three well built bouncers to have Khan accept the waste as it was , unseperated , untreated . Little did they know , he had the vigour of thirty . By the time the safari suited bouncers reached , a large pile of garbage was left decorating the main gate of the hospital building . They oppressed , he carried on , they blackmailed , he instigated all the more , they complained , he reigned supreme . This is exactly what irritated the masses . A garbage picker with the authority of a municipal commissioner , uncommon , very .